Hazel L DeBolt

Hazel Lee DeBolt, 81, a 50-year resident of Stow, Ohio, passed away Monday, December 22, 2025 at Akron City Hospital while listening to her favorite songs with her daughters holding her hands. She had endured a devasting stroke. She was born June 23, 1944, as a coal miner's daughter in Ehrenfeld, PA and was raised by loving foster parents Russell and Jenny Litton with many foster siblings. At 18 years of age, she met her late husband James L. DeBolt, a Korean War Veteran and coal miner, and they were married one month later. They both worked hard and believed in the American dream that so many family members had fought for. Hazel and Jim had a loving and fun filled marriage for 61 years surrounded with a family that was larger than life. They eventually settled in Stow and raised two daughters Kimberly (Greg) Statts and Darlene (Steve Lamp) DeBolt Buzash. She and her husband enjoyed that dream. They bought their first home in Stow and later built their dream home in Stow to raise their daughters. Hazel was a member of the Kent American Legion Auxiliary and Ladies of the Moose in Ravenna. She offered many hours of volunteer work for our veterans. Hazel and Jim had a passion for camping and traveling. They had a permanent site with many friends at Hideaway Woods and taught their daughters to also love camping. They spent a month traveling the USA with their teen daughters to show them how to explore and have dreams for new horizons. Hazel was able to retire at the age of 50 from Acme of Hudson after several years of service, and she and her husband purchased a motor home and traveled the United States to visit friends and family while making new friends wherever they landed. They were a very loving, kind, and fun-filled couple. After their travels, they settled in Ruskin, Florida at River Vista Campground for the winter as snowbirds. They had a village of friends there. Hazel took part in planning activities and entertainment for her fellow retirees with tons of laughs. They came back to their home in Stow every spring to spend the summer with friends, their daughters, and their four grandchildren Micheal (Demetrius) Duncan, Danielle (Ty), Leah, and Kaylee Buzash. Those grandchildren have mountains of great memories of laughing, listening to music, dancing, playing cards, and words of wisdom from their ornery and loving grandparents. Hazel knew that she and Jim taught their daughters to be kind, strong, carry on, and pay it forward. Hazel was an amazing woman, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to anyone she had ever met. Hazel is also survived by her-in-laws Josie and John Simcic, several nieces and nephews from the DeBolt, Hilliard and Litton families. Due to her wishes, there will not be a funeral service; she will be buried beside her husband at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery with a celebration of life at a later date. Her daughters want to thank our family, Summa Palliative Care at Akron City Hospital, and Danbury Senior Living for all of your support. We leave our momma with some quotes from loved ones. She gave everyone spirit, she would give you hell if you deserved it, but everyone was better for having her in their life. Hazel will always be remembered for her zest for life, her enthusiasm when we danced to Mustang Sally, calling bingo and her love for Jim and her family. One extremely special gal. She always played "Ain't Got No Home" by Clarence "Frog Man" Henry and changed her voice while dancing in the kitchen with her grandchildren. Hazel and Jim were larger than life. She supported others in love and her enthusiasm for her man, her soulmate. She was a FORCE - a force of love, sentimentality, caring and definitely humor. Fun couple to be around. Hazel was one of a kind! The best woman and friend anyone could ask for. She was kind and wasn't afraid to tell you what she thought. Heaven got a good one. The world is a sadder place now that she is gone. She touched many people young and old. Always joking about . She had a way of making people feel loved and accepted. They were always so much fun to be around. They weren't just a married couple, they had the strongest bond any couple could possibly have. They had a life that I can only dream of. Such great people, the spunky Aunt, Wonderful woman. Loved dancing to Mustang Sally with her, she was an awesome dancer and had so much fun with everyone on the floor. She was a master at playing devil's advocate and putting yourself in some else's shoes. You can have your standards and boundaries, but you should never believe that you are the Judge. We will all join Hazel and Jim at that the card table one day and jump up to dance to Mustang Sally. We hope she realizes how significant she is to everyone who met her. She said "Father please forgive me, I can't make it without my man."